The missing Puglia Blogs: #1 – Death in Lecce

Death is a very serious business in Italy and every town has a cemetery that is worth a visit.

The first thing that struck me is that funeral notices are done very differently to Australia. 

Nothing in the papers – instead posters are made announcing the death and the funeral and these are plastered on walls and billboards, presumably near to where the deceased lived.

The second thing that struck me is that above ground burial in crypts is very popular.

Naturally the richer and more important the family, the grander the crypt. Some look like small churches, while others look like houses. And there are community crypts for people who can’t afford their own with tombs stacked up high like marble boxes in a warehouse.

Lecce Epilogue

Eight  reasons to put Lecce at the top of your list of potential destinations if you are thinking about studying Italian in Italy.  By the way it also happens to be a great place for a holiday.

1. The city: Lecce is a beautiful, elegant baroque city steeped in tradition and history. The historical old city is stunning. The baroque architecture, museums and art galleries alone definitely make a visit worthwhile and the people are warm, friendly and welcoming.
2. The region: Lecce is in the Salento region of Puglia and within easy reach of beautiful places to visit. They include the UNESCO listed towns of Alberobello and Matera, the white hill top town of Ostuni, Putignano famed for its Carnevale parades and the picturesque coastal towns of Gallipoli, Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca.
   
3. The courses: The 10 week course I did was excellent. My teachers were highly skilled and very patient. The maximum class size is 12. Because it was the northern winter the classes were even smaller – lots of individual attention guaranteed. The cost of the courses is very reasonable and the University of Salento is one of only a handful of public universities in Italy offering Italian for Foreigners.

Another exam! Didn’t you just finish?

L-R: Anna-Raffaele-Valentina-Cristian-Angelo

Earlier on my journey I told you about Cristian Telesco, who is doing a study on the migration of people from Puglia to Australia and beyond.

I met Cristian early in my trip when he asked me to participate in a seminar he has been organising in Lecce about his work.

It meant returning to Lecce one more time. The seminar was held last Friday (1 April).

Cristian asked me to talk about my memories and experiences as the son of post WW2 migrants to Australia from Puglia.

He said I could do it in English and he would translate. I was honoured to be asked, accepted and then set myself the task of doing it in Italian.